Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing

Let me handle it.

Pretty good run.

She made me do it.

Let me see, where is it?

Yeah, there.

No, no, you have got to change it.

It's terrible.

Damien, dear boy, the lighting is more than sufficient.

Do not call me dear boy.

All right?

All right.

And it's sufficient as if it were a mortuary.

But, if you don't mind, I would like to see my painting.

I mean, that's the whole thing.

Hello.

Hello.

I'd like to, uh, I'd like to speak with the director.

Oh, very well, sir.

I'll get her for you if you would just sign our guest register.

Of course.

Thank you.

I'm Renee Murian, Mr... Angelo, how do you do?

How do you do?

I understand that recently you sold a Truman York for 1.2, 0.3 million.

Well, yes, as a matter of fact, we did.

Winston Hope?

Yes.

Ah, what a shame, he's always one step ahead.

Then you must know Hope is the foremost York collector in the world.

Yes, I know.

Unfortunately for me.

However, if you're interested, Mr. Angelo, I do have another York I could show you.

Really?

I'd be very interested.

This way.

A beautiful work, don't you think?

So typical of York's subtlety in the use of... of color and...

space.

Mr. Angelo, what are you doing?

Sleep!

I wouldn't do that!

I'd have to tell him you're dealing with forgeries.

Interesting use of...

color and space, don't you think?

You know, this is the place.

Don't you?

No, but he's insane!

Truman York.

You're insane!

York died five years ago!

But they never recovered his body.

What are you saying?

Are you saying York is a dead...

But we're expecting several from California very soon.

Well, thank you very much.

You're quite welcome.

Oh, excuse me.

If you have any questions, my name is Maureen.

This is Mr. Graffian.

You're?

Just tell him it's an old friend from Mexico.

Mr. Graff, a gentleman to see you.

Says he's an old friend from Mexico.

Thanks.

If you'll just follow me.

What are you doing here?

What the hell are you thinking about?

Just came in for the day.

Maybe two.

Well, you shouldn't be here at all.

It's too dangerous.

Did you see this?

From Art International.

Manurian Gallery sold that painting.

To Winston Holt for over a million dollars.

Yes, I know.

It's a fake.

I thought it might be.

But then again, I thought it might be one of your earlier works I didn't know about.

So anyway, I flew in this morning and I went to see Renee Nourian.

And guess what?

She's got another of my fakes on the wall.

You know what I did?

What?

I destroyed it.

You destroyed it?

Have you gone mad?

Why draw attention to yourself like that?

The point is, Philip.

Philip, I want you to get to the bottom of it.

Well, I would love to get to the bottom of it.

But if there are other fakes of the quality of Hope's painting, then we have an obvious problem.

There's still forgeries.

Yes, but only one person can swear to that.

You.

And you're supposed to be dead.

Oh, Truman.

I worry about you.

If it becomes known that you're still alive, then two things can happen, both bad.

Oh, tell me.

Well, somebody could inform the police.

Oh, Ann.

Well, the price of your work could drop by 50%.

And you'd have to cut your prices then, wouldn't you?

Well, I don't represent you just for money.

I do it because you're my friend.

In the first place, I don't think anyone recognized me.

Second, a flood of forgeries in the market is not going to raise my price, is it?

No.

All right.

I'll try to see what I can find out.

Good.

I'm registered at the Brown Palace Hotel under the name Angelo.

Michelangelo?

Why not?

I'll be in touch if I find out anything.

Michelangelo, Michelangelo.

Winston, hope, please.

Maureen Gilman?

Winston, I've got interesting news.

What's up?

Another shipment from south of the border?

You might say that.

Truman, York showed up.

What the hell are you talking about?

Just what I said.

He was just in here talking to Philip.

He's staying at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Calls himself Michelangelo.

He always was a little pretentious.

He told Philip the painting you bought from Rene Nourian is a fake.

Don't mention it to anyone.

You know me.

I'm afraid I do.

So don't worry, I'll make it worth your while.

I just love it when you talk money.

No kidding.

True?

Take a deep breath.

I probably should have called first, but I figured if I just showed up I could cushion the shock.

Or something.

I don't understand any of this.

What about the accident?

I survived it.

I hid out in the mountains until they stopped looking for me, and I managed to make it to Mexico.

And that's where you've been?

All this time?

That's where I've been.

Straightening myself out, painting, keeping low profile.

Wow.

Why didn't you let me know?

I don't know.

To be honest with you, I didn't...

I didn't think you'd want to know.

Well, what about the police?

Why would you take the chance of coming back here?

I had to see you.

Me?

What for?

A second chance.

Lizanne, I know how badly I screwed up.

Things are different now.

I'm different.

I've been off drugs for four years, and all I can think about is being back together again.

True, please.

I love you, I love you.

Probably more than I ever did.

Philip's been...

Philip's been keeping me up to date.

So I know you're not involved.

Are you?

You've been in touch with Philip?

I just left him.

Somebody's been dumping forgeries of my work on the market, but what do you say?

I say you're going too fast.

I can't even think.

Straight.

We had something pretty special, pretty damn marvelous, in fact.

At least until I screwed it up, but we can have it again.

Come back to Mexico with me.

We live like royalty.

You can sculpt and I'll paint, but we'll do it together.

But this is all too much for me.

I'll be in town until tomorrow.

You don't know.

You have no idea how many nights I cried myself to sleep when I thought you were dead.

I'm so sorry.

Please forgive me.

There's so many bad memories to get over.

I know.

Look.

Look.

I just need a little time to sort everything out.

I'll call you in the morning.

I'll be at the, uh, Brown Palace Hotel.

York!

Hey, you.

With the overcoat.

You're Truman York, aren't you?

Uh, no.